PlastyPAC Elects New Chair in Special Election
Following a rare series of events, Keith Blechman, MD, was recently elected the 2021 PlastyPAC Chair in a special election to fill a vacancy in the position. This marked only the second special election in the history of the PAC.
The election
The PlastyPAC Board of Governors initiated the special election process to fill the vacant PlastyPAC Chair position at the start of the 2021 committee cycle. Traditionally, the immediate past-Federal Chair of Legislative Advocacy Committee (LAC), assumes the role of incoming PAC Chair. However, the person rotating out of the LAC's Federal Chair position was selected to fill a vacant position on the ASPS Executive Committee, rendering him ineligible to Chair the PAC.
At the start of the 2021 committee term, the PlastyPAC Board of Governors put out a call to every eligible U.S. member urging them to apply. Interested parties were given two weeks to submit their interest in running for the PAC Chair position before the PAC Board initiated an official election.
On December 7, 2020, the PAC Board elected Keith Blechman, MD as the PlastyPAC Chair until the current LAC Federal Chair finishes his service.
Leading the PAC into the future
Dr. Blechman is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York, New York. Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, his practice is focused primarily on cosmetic surgery, reconstructive procedures for skin cancer and breast cancer and transgender breast surgery.
Dr. Blechman served on the PlastyPAC Board of Governors from 2017-2020 and is a current member of the Legislative Advocacy Committee. Through both of those positions, he has developed substantial experience with the issues that PlastyPAC educates candidates for Congress on and meeting with members of Congress to deliver the PAC's message. In his time on the Board, Dr. Blechman considered more than 200 potential PlastyPAC contributions to congressional candidates, met face-to-face fourteen times with members of Congress running for office and worked with his colleagues on the Board to develop and implement numerous operational enhancements.
One of his primary goals as incoming PlastyPAC Chair is increasing member engagement from YPS and resident members in ASPS's advocacy efforts. With an extensive background in performing gender confirmation procedures, Dr. Blechman is also passionate about advocating for health care access for transgender patients.
Recognizing outgoing Chair, Robert X. Murphy Jr. MD, MS
The PlastyPAC Chair is charged with leading the Society in decisions regarding support for elected officials who will serve as champions for the practice on Capitol Hill. During his time as Chair, Robert X. Murphy Jr. MD, MS, fully embraced this charge and worked to ensure ASPS remained relevant in these turbulent times and its members were well represented in the legislative process.
Dr. Murphy championed reforms to the member-at-large selection process and PAC Chair special elections to make the Board more diverse, inclusive and transparent. These reforms are reflective of the PAC's ongoing commitment to truly embody its motto, "Your practice. Your Patients. Your Priorities. Your PAC."
To learn more about PlastyPAC and its Member Benefits Program, visit PlastyPAC.net.